RANT: lifted trucks and aftermarket lights
- Thread starter Thai
- Start date
Devbot
New member
Around here it's not even an aiming problem; people just put the brightest possible LEDs they can into the halogen housings. They buy LED bulbs, go "wow these shine like shit" and think the solution is to get some 2000 lumen low beams. The real kicker is even then, it still doesn't illuminate nearly as well.
New cars and their 3000 lumen projectors are arguably worse imo, cause they were outright designed to blind you and there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it. Damn near every morning I see some 2015+ headlights blinding me from down the road so I flash them... only to have them flash me back. Once again, the double whammy is they still don't illuminate the road for them and much as it does for you. 90% of cars I've driven that were made in the last 10 years are completely ABYSMAL to drive at night. Only factory installed projectors though; I've never been blinded by retrofits.
But get a load of this: instead of making headlights so damn bright, you know what the solution is? To computerize headlights. It's been common in Europe for some time - headlights will now have sensors within them that detect incoming light sources and alter the projection of the beam thus making it less blinding for oncoming traffic, switching back to full projection once cars have passed. Not only this but they will also sense light bouncing back off road signs and apply the same feature; dimming themselves in that direction as to not reflect an uncomfortable amount of light back at you......... Because apparently this is the easier solution than, you know, anything else.....
New cars and their 3000 lumen projectors are arguably worse imo, cause they were outright designed to blind you and there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it. Damn near every morning I see some 2015+ headlights blinding me from down the road so I flash them... only to have them flash me back. Once again, the double whammy is they still don't illuminate the road for them and much as it does for you. 90% of cars I've driven that were made in the last 10 years are completely ABYSMAL to drive at night. Only factory installed projectors though; I've never been blinded by retrofits.
But get a load of this: instead of making headlights so damn bright, you know what the solution is? To computerize headlights. It's been common in Europe for some time - headlights will now have sensors within them that detect incoming light sources and alter the projection of the beam thus making it less blinding for oncoming traffic, switching back to full projection once cars have passed. Not only this but they will also sense light bouncing back off road signs and apply the same feature; dimming themselves in that direction as to not reflect an uncomfortable amount of light back at you......... Because apparently this is the easier solution than, you know, anything else.....
Iceknight366
Junior Member
I'm actually new to the whole 4Runner thing (looking at buying my first this year. Yeah I know... terrible timing), so this was extremely useful - I've experience it but never thought about why. I was hoping to do a 3" lift. I don't know if that's enough to make much of a difference, but I'll definitely look into it. Thanks
Many are just using cheap LED lamps and they scatter like crazy. Aiming is a good tip, and I have lines I tape on a wall for that since I swapped to LED headlamps (DOT legal) in my Jeep. The cutoff is clear and crisp, with no scatter. However, they were $1K. A HID retrofit runs around that too in the 4R. The cheap setups often scatter and many do not aim them. Even if you do, some setups will scatter a lot to the side and up. They really should start pulling them over and ticketing them with a "replace to DOT" and make them prove it.
Speaking from a law enforcement perspective. Why would law enforcement even consider pulling someone over due to scatter lights? As long as the vehicle is emitting sufficient light, all is well , right? More so why would law enforcement pull anyone over regarding simple things such as this? In a major metropolitan city near me, they have put into effect a do not pull people over with minor traffic violations. They are concerned with peoples mental health, and more people are are choosing reincarceration over paying fines, so everyone looses in the end. YYEEEAAA tax payers!!!
/rant to your rant
/rant to your rant
John in NC
Member
Police should pull these people with aftermarket blazing headlights blinding people over because... they're blinding people! I'm sick of it.
What about people running searing bright light bars in traffic? It's illegal, and blinding people. You can't have a light bar on while on a DOT road. Just let that go? Heck no, ticket them.
Not pulling people over because of their mental health? How about pulling them over to enforce the rule of law and to address safety issues.
Same with people running red stoplights, don't pull them over either? No, pull them and give them a ticket. We almost got T-boned by a red light runner staring down at their phone the other day.
I got blinded by a lame wrangler coming at me on a 2 lane road in my neighborhood, with all sorts of high powered lights on the front of his jeep. I flashed my brights, he lit up even more lights and put his brights on. I flashed a few more times. Cool. Should people just be blinded by this dude with his cool lights and cool mods? Hell no.
Should the cops pull him over, you know, enforce the law? Yes.
Heck the guy with the squat truck aiming to the moon running light bars up and down, with no mufflers, write him up too.
Ahhh... rant over, thanks!
What about people running searing bright light bars in traffic? It's illegal, and blinding people. You can't have a light bar on while on a DOT road. Just let that go? Heck no, ticket them.
Not pulling people over because of their mental health? How about pulling them over to enforce the rule of law and to address safety issues.
Same with people running red stoplights, don't pull them over either? No, pull them and give them a ticket. We almost got T-boned by a red light runner staring down at their phone the other day.
I got blinded by a lame wrangler coming at me on a 2 lane road in my neighborhood, with all sorts of high powered lights on the front of his jeep. I flashed my brights, he lit up even more lights and put his brights on. I flashed a few more times. Cool. Should people just be blinded by this dude with his cool lights and cool mods? Hell no.
Should the cops pull him over, you know, enforce the law? Yes.
Heck the guy with the squat truck aiming to the moon running light bars up and down, with no mufflers, write him up too.
Ahhh... rant over, thanks!
Last edited:
4RunnerKauai
New member
I’m lifted and have a plug and play headlights one light is higher than the other, I’m not much of a car guy but how do I align them together?
riceandpho
Elite Member
use a 3 to 3.5 inch drop if your really high like in the 38+ inches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5bVexCfV0s
Similar threads
